A NEW DAWN, A NEW ERA.

Above Jacob Gedleyihlekisa Zuma seen doing some Zulu dance during a rally.Zuma was declared the winner last week in one of the most tightly contested South African general elections since independence in 1994.JZ, as they call him is popular among the poor and unemployed South Africans. Many feel confident that Jacob Zuma will do a good job of alleviating poverty and job creation. He faces a tough job mending the divisions within the ANC party, and the entire Rainbow nation at large.Zuma who was catapulted to power last November in annual ANC congress in Polokwane.Zuma has has along history with ANC dating back to his youth days.He almost saw his political career come to a sudden end, after he was fired by Thabo Mbeki's cabinet three years ago.

He is also a former detainee along side Nelson Mandela in the Robin islands prison.
The sixty six year old Zuma is not formerly educated but has respect of most of the major institutions in South Africa.The man who was finally acquitted of corruption charges hardly a week before the elections, brings a new energy with his as evidenced by his skills of traditional Zulu dancing.Jacob Zuma will be the first Zulu President of the Republic South Africa.He is said to be very close to King Goodwill Zwelithini.His election was also a win to most of the Zulus people.For the first time in history KwaZulu Natal and Durban constituencies were tightly contested. These are places where Inkatha Freedom party traditionally wins easily.Throughout his campaign, Zuma has shown great leadership and maturity in his speeches.

"A FRIGHTENING DREAM"

A FRIGHTENING DREAM.

Yesterday night I had a frightening dream.
This is not the first time I had this dream.
I am tormented each time I have this dream.
It troubles me so much that it awakens me up from my sleep.

When the dream episode begins,
it doesn't usually scare me as such.
In fact it makes me happy.
I mean very happy.
Would you not be happy being among your own people?
Greeting friends and relatives not seen in a decade.

I see myself at home in Bulawayo.
Greeting friends and relatives.
Some of whom are dead and those that still live.

I dream in clear colors,
laughing with aunts and cousins.
Shaking hands with neighbors and friends.
Drinking and breaking bread with my people
I dream walking in familiar grounds.
The same grounds where I grew up on.

Suddenly, my dream is interrupted.
How did I get here?
Do I have any money and documents to go back?
At that point, reality sink in.
Soberness, and panic takes over.
I am in deep trouble.

How in the world did I come to this place?
Yes I was homesick.
But this is a terrible mistake?
How am I ever going go back?
At that point, I am awake and sweating.
"Thank God, I am still here in the States"
Oh it was that dream again.

Mandla Mkwananzi.

REFLECTING ON MY EASTER .

I had forgotten that Easter holiday is one the major proud pullers in churches other than Christmas. Despite the fact that me and my family arrived in church at least 20 minutes early,we where amazed that the parking lot was already getting full.The church that we attend has two services, one starts at 9am, while the next one starts at 10:45am.We prefer the second service because we enjoy contemporary music, while the other one is mostly traditional.Apart from the preacher, one would think they are in two different churches when comparing the way the two services are conducted.

Its important to mention that this was our first Easter, since we are fairly new in the area.This is one of the two churches we tried out since our arrival in Carmel almost two years ago.There was another one we attended for a couple of months, but my wife did not like it.That meant we had to move.When we visited the Faith Church at the corner of 91st and College, she enjoyed the service, and we have been going there ever since.Any married man will tell you about consequences of arguing with a woman.Indeed my wife made the right choice. This church gave us a warm and friendly welcome.They are the nicest people one can ever find.They have supported us prayerful and materially.

Something about this church that reminds me of my home church in Zimbabwe.Maybe its the way they gracefully handle the house of God, or just their reverence for the word of God.Many times during worship, I take a trip to my own church in New Lobengula Brethren In Christ.I also find some characters strikingly similar. Sometimes the songs they sing have similar tunes to those we sing back home in Ndebele.

This past weekend a lot of people came in as families, as compared to some days in the past. Coincidentally I used to see that a lot at home during such holidays.However there is one major difference that is interesting to me.At home my pastors, or ministers usually come in when the service is already began.They arrive through the back door in a grand entrance like style. They would come in walking solemnly in a orderly fashion.They take the seats, while one of them, heads to the pulpit to greet the church, and officially open the service in a seemingly rehearsed voice. After greeting the congregation the master of ceremony will say,"Let every body say Amen. Here the Ministers sits together with congregation, and leave to the pulpit from the people's side.At home they had a real clergy like style and tone of service command.That is one thing I miss about my home church among other things.

REMAINING WHITE FARMERS TELL THEIR STORY.

Dear all, Thank you for your prayers. On the face of it you may wonder whether they are being answered or not. I will give you a brief synopsis of today: We managed to leave Mike and Angela's house this morning despite invaders all around and a small blockade of cut trees on the driveway going out to the main road. On leaving though "Landmine" gave his name as "Landmine Shamuyarira" and told us that the place was now his as he has the offer letter for Minister Nathan Shamuyarira.

Angela and Cath tried to go back a little later to sort out a wound on the old horse that lives in the garden and give him water as well as get the cat. They also needed to check the small herd of "house" dairy cows as they haven't been able to be milked for a few days due the invaders stopping the workers from being allowed to work. Cath got out of the car to remove the blockade of branches and "Landmine" the main invader tried to grab the car keys and get them both out of the car. They were denied access to the house. At the police station the police did not want to take a report regarding this situation. We had our lawyer, David Drury there, and they eventually took the report after considerable discussion. We spent the next 7 hours at the police station but police never came out to Mount Carmel to allow us to get to the house despite numerous requests. For all we know the house is being looted. They smashed the kitchen door lock a few nights ago and we have not been able to replace the lock. Police saw the smashed lock but "Landmine" was never arrested. They have now got total control to smash the rest of the locks and take what they like. Bruce managed to get one of the workers, Sinos, who was badly beaten up by the invaders a couple of days ago, x-rayed. It has transpired that he has a badly fractured skull. "Landmine" and the gang that beat Sinos, were at the police station 4 times in the 7 hours that we were there.

They walk in at will and appear to command considerable power with the police. We asked that they be arrested but police are clearly in collusion with them. As a result of these beatings and police arrests of the workers, many of the other workers remain in hiding or simply just sleeping rough in the bush. I asked the police Sergeant doing the case regarding the arrest of our workers what "Landmines" real name was. He told me to get me to get it from "Landmine." When I asked "Landmine" his real name [in the Sergeants presence] he refused to give it to me. I was told to get it from the police superiors. Assistant Inspector Sasa refused to give it to me as it was a "police matter." Inspector Zengeni said I was "provoking him." Chief Inspector Manika, despite him being on the phone with "Landmine" on a number of occasions, told our lawyer that he does not know his name but will find out. On the 4 occasions that "Landmine" was there that afternoon he somehow failed to find out! Towards the end of the afternoon I was asked to get Martin Joubert to the police station as they just wanted to record a statement from him. When he arrived they said that they wanted to charge him for kidnapping! [a totally false charge]. They started recording a statement which was done by the light of a cell phone into the night as they had no candles. They have now put Martin into jail with the other workers.

Dave Drury managed to get private access to some of our workers who were in jail on similar charges. They were not being brought to court and were being illegally incarcerated beyond the 48 hour limit. This was pointed out to Chief Inspector Manika but he did not let them out of custody. The workers showed how they were tortured by police when having statements extracted from them. They were beaten using a heavy electrical cable. Dave saw the cable and the welts from the beating. We also got information that having chased all the guards away, "Landmine" is now taking car loads of mangos out in the maroon Prado that he drives and selling them at the market.

On leaving the police I went out to try to get to Mike and Angela's house on foot in the dark with a friend. Bruce had told Chief Inspector Manika that we were going to try to sleep at the house to stop any looting that might be taking place. The Chief Inspector said that he thought this would be fine. On getting to within 100 yards of the house we were ambushed by some invaders who were waiting for us. They fired stones with catapults. We had to run for it while stones whistled past our ears. My friend went down when a big rock hit his leg but he was up in a flash and somehow avoided capture. He went down again when he leapt the trees and branches blocking the road and he is quite grazed up. It was a great mercy that we avoided capture because another cracked skull, 50 yards from where they cracked mine 9 month ago, would not have been good. So today has been another difficult one. At this stage we are quiet at our house though; so we are thankful for that.

The answer to prayer is that despite all this and virtually no sleep for several nights and hardly any food, we are not discouraged.
It is a hard time but I know God is with us and I know that this lack of discouragement has to be from God! Please keep praying, With love, Ben."

THE DAY I WALKED OUT OF A CHURCH! (Part 2)

When the lady Pastor came back from her South African visit which lasted about nine days, the whole church was eager to hear her experience.This was obviously her first time to go out on an international outreach of that manner.I was one of those who were eager to hear about her trip.I must mention that her trip almost coincided with President Bush's first visit South Africa. The American President had gone there with her Secretary Condoleza Rice, a black African American woman. That same year in 2003, things were very difficult in Zimbabwe. There was no food, no fuel, and so on.Political tensions were mounting everywhere. It was no really this bad but it was just the beginning.This was just to give you a little background of that period.

My own Uncle Rev Jordan who is a minister here in the United States and his wife made several trips to Zimbabwean all year round.Rev N. Jordan is married to an American woman who is also a co minister just like my lady Pastor.Despite the hardships in Zimbabwe my aunt loved the place and the people. She knew Bulawayo like the back of her hand. It was important that make that comparison. Its a Sunday morning and my Lady Pastor begins to preach. Can you guess the title of her message. "My trip to Africa" She started by thanking God that, "even though we came here as slaves we are better off" I could not have guessed that her trip did not go so well.

She said Africans are poor and sad people and its evident in their faces.She said was hosted in a little house which they called a "mansion" and "that was no mansion at all" She also told a story that she had heard about lions at Kroger Park. Somebody told her that Lions at the Game Park were dying because of Aids having eaten some infected illegal immigrants from Zimbabwe.Her sympathy was for the lions more than human beings.When she recited that story, the whole congregation was sympathetic to the lions.

The Pastor would go on saying that she saw a mosquito on her car window and she had to pray in tongues, that she does not get infected with malaria. She did not even eat any fruits because she could have brought a disease that could wipe out the entire nation, she continued.As she was speaking I began to think to myself, What if she has visited Zimbabwe? She had only visited the finest places Pretoria, Cape town and a little bit of JHB. I was still waiting for her to preach, but when she continued her episodes of her nightmare trip. She further criticized people for not putting ice an her soft drink soda like they do here.I could not stand her blunt and ignorant whining. I took my bible and headed for the door.If she despised Africans and Africa in particular,I had no business being around her.I later tried to seek audience with her to give a cultural understanding, but her staff could not allow me.I even offer to put an appointment with her but all that was fruitless efforts.On that day I understood why some are of the opinion that woman should not preach.

I concluded that the ministry that hosted her did not do a good job of explaining to her where she was going.I also concluded that the people who invited her treated her like local black people. Anybody who knows South Africa must know the gap between the two races. This is regardless of weather one is a christian or not. The lion story must have been a propaganda from unreformed racist in that country.I vowed never to put my foot on that church building again.If my uncle Jordan and his wife lived in Zimbabwe for the whole of 2003, what was so special about her to make so much noise. President George W. Bush and Condi Rice went to South Africa and did not complain, given their capacity as VIPs.

THE DAY I WALKED OUT OF A CHURCH! Part 1

Not too long after having settled here in Indianapolis, I began looking for a home church. Those of us who have migrated from place to place know pretty well the difficulties that comes with looking for a place of worship. I would not have anticipated that it might be difficult since there is a church building every street corner. One of my major problems was my work schedule. I could hardly have a Sunday off. If by chance I had one, I would be so tired having worked hard the previous night on Saturday. I had purposed in my heart to find a comfortable place of worship. Needless to say that it was going to a year without fellowship. I knew the scripture in Hebrews that clearly encourages saints to "gather together even as the day approaches"

Having been a believer for a little bit over ten years back home, I was not going to have a problem with the any style of worship.I told myself that as long as they read from the Bible that is all I needed."Hunger makes bread precious" somebody once said. That is how hungry I was spiritually. In my Christian walk and fellowship, I had experienced various forms of worship. Pentecostal worship, charismatic, and evangelical ,you name it.I have friends from a wide range of christian  persuasion and beliefs. Some believe that one has to hear a voice to be considered saved, while others believe that one is saved through faith and confession.I considered my self an all round christian  who is above petty immature differences. I was open minded and I knew my limits.

Television preachers kept me revived. Sometimes I would watch the Christian Channels the whole day. These cannot compare to one on one fellowship. Almost one year passed without me any progress. Here in America everything is revolves around work. I do not think there is country in the world where people work so hard. Two or three jobs on average. It soon dawned on me that I have to force myself to fellowship come rain, snow or sunshine. I had fallen in love with another church not too far from my area, thanks to local television Christan ministry. This young and vibrant church turned out to be what I needed. Both the Pastor's wife and the Pastor were ministers.

I had gone there for a little over a year when trouble began. It happened that the Lady minister was going to visit South Africa, on another famous minister's invitation. I should have mentioned the fact that this ministry is a black church. In America there are what they call black and white churches. The late Rev Martin Luther king saying is still true today that Sunday morning at eleven o, clock is the "America's most divided hour". One of the reason why I chose a black church was because I did not want to look like I was beggar.I also did not want to look different. In other words I did not want to attract attention to myself at  church.

My experience in Atlanta GA on my three months stay had taught me a lesson.I had attended a white church at the invitation of neighbors. To me church was church white or black, but the minister made me feel uncomfortable.I do not know if he realized it or not. He would make examples of poor and needy people during a sermon and saying, "If you think I am lying ask the brother from Africa right there! It was not a big deal at first time, but as he repeated the same thing. I would naturally feel uncomfortable. That is the reason why I was trying to hide behind my skin this time.

To be continued.Please don't miss part two.